Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute. I know the Government must tackle a difficult budgetary situation but its priority must remain to protect frontline health services and meet the health and safety standards for patients. Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe has been mentioned in the motion and I would like to cite what Dr. David O'Keeffe, the recently appointed clinical director of acute services for Galway and Roscommon has said about the hospital. He said that Portiuncula Hospital provides the majority of hospital services required by people living in east Galway and surrounding areas and would continue to do so. He went on to say that he wanted to reassure people that no hospital closures were taking place and that every hospital in the acute hospital network would continue to deliver the majority of health services required by the local community it served. He stated clearly, with the hospital manager in Ballinasloe, Ms Bridget McHugh, that the 2010 service plan covered in-patient targets, day cases, emergency presentations, emergency emissions and outpatients. I welcome that.

I also welcome the fact that there has been a big effort to tackle the overspend in the hospitals in counties Galway and Roscommon. For example, in July the overspend in Ballinasloe was heading for €7 million but by September the deficit was reduced to €4.5 million, a reduction of €2.5 million. Similarly, in Roscommon the deficit of €4.7 million was reduced to €2.2 million in September. There have been concerns with regard to configuration, particularly that involving Galway and Roscommon where there are four hospitals, the two in Galway city, Portiuncula and Roscommon. Of course there were concerns. Now we have Mr. O'Keeffe as clinical director to manage the four hospitals, with each hospital also having its own individual manager. That is welcome. I do not have to praise Portiuncula Hospital to the Minister, Deputy Harney, as she has often been reminded she was born there. She also opened a special babycare unit there early this year. Two new surgeon appointments have now been approved for the region and I hope that as a result we will see more procedures carried out in the hospitals outside of Galway city, namely, Roscommon and Portiuncula hospitals.

I commend the HSE and the trade unions on the talks they have had on cost savings. They have looked at non-pay related savings, career breaks, unpaid leave, use of overtime only as a last resort and flexibility in the reallocation of staff. They also examined spending on agency staff at weekends and weekend premia. Savings have been made and that is welcome. We must make savings and the hospitals have done that. At the same time, they have observed health and safety standards.

On the question of beds, there has been much mention of there being too many hospitals and too many beds. I cannot agree with that. We must deal with the situation as it is. There is no point in making sweeping statements about too many hospitals or beds. However, we must be clear about what each hospital does and about the certainty this gives to families and communities. I would welcome that clarity.

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